


read my invisible ink

by Suicix



Category: GOT7
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Gyms, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 04:05:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14633730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suicix/pseuds/Suicix
Summary: “You're working too hard.” Mark’s voice is gentle as he says it. It feels like he’s treating Jackson like he’s something fragile, like he thinks Jackson’s going to break or shatter in front of him. Jackson doesn’t like that. He doesn’t like that one bit.





	read my invisible ink

**Author's Note:**

> it's been. a long time. i'm so sorry to anyone who prompted anything from me that hasn't been written yet, i've been busy! but i have ideas for all of them so they are coming!
> 
> this is the seventh of eleven prompts that have been requested so far, and fills the prompt: markson - c. a moment's respite. prompts can be found on twitter [here](https://twitter.com/gotsevenses/status/977863005978415105)!

Aside from the music blaring into Jackson’s ears, the gym’s pretty much quiet. There’s him and Mark, and the whir and clank of machines. No-one else on a treadmill or the mats, no-one lifting weights on a bench press. It’s peaceful. Nobody can interfere as Jackson goes about his routine, and he doesn’t have to wait for any machines when he needs them.

At this point, he’s about two thirds of the way through. He feels good, feels like he’s working up a real sweat, and it’s only enhanced by the moments when he can feel Mark watching him. With nobody else in the room, he _knows_ it’s Mark, and that makes him feel confident, makes him feel sexy. He’s worth looking at, worth Mark’s attention.

He considers pausing for just a moment – pausing so he can smirk and flex and make Mark laugh – and so he does, turning to look at Mark. He’s about to do it, his face cracking into a smile for not even a second before he actually gets to look at Mark properly, and – _oh._ It never crossed his mind for a moment that Mark’s expression might be a worried one.

“What is it?” Jackson asks. He pauses his music. “Are you OK?”

“I don’t think you’re the one who should be asking that,” says Mark. Jackson opens his mouth to interject, confused, but Mark’s talking again before he can get any words out. “I mean, you’re working very hard. Obviously. Not just here tonight, but like. Everywhere.”

“When have you ever known me to do anything less?” Jackson smiles, raising an eyebrow, but Mark’s expression doesn’t change.

“Too hard.” Mark’s voice is gentle as he says it. It feels like he’s treating Jackson like he’s something fragile, like he thinks Jackson’s going to break or shatter in front of him. Jackson doesn’t like that. He doesn’t like that one bit.

“Not hard enough,” he counters, reaching forward to continue using the machine, but Mark catches his shoulder, stopping him. “What? I need to finish, OK?”

“Take a break first.” Mark’s hand is still on Jackson’s shoulder. “I will too, yeah?”

Jackson just blinks.

“Why?” he asks, unable to keep from frowning.

“Do I have to spell it out for you again? You’re overworking yourself, babe. I swear I’ve never seen you doing _this_ much before.” Again, Mark’s voice is soft. Infuriatingly so. He’s speaking so quietly, and yet it’s the only sound in the room. It makes Jackson feel like he’s been zeroed in on, like a light’s being shined on him to make his vulnerabilities visible. The invisible ink he’s tried so hard to keep hidden being revealed as easily as that.

Mark notices stuff, is the thing. He doesn’t always let on, but he still sees it. Even if Jackson tries to hide something – that he’s tired or burned out or sad – Mark sees.

“Come on,” Mark continues, still gentle. “Get off the machine. We can just… lie down on the mats. Nobody else is around.”

It probably isn’t a good idea, lying down immediately after working out – _during_ working out, even – but for once, Jackson tells himself that he doesn’t care. Mark’s worried about him. He feels bad for letting that happen.

“OK,” says Jackson, and they head over to the mats by the opposite wall. He takes a moment to stretch first, and then lies down beside Mark. It’s the least he can do.

“You don’t wanna talk about it, do you?” Mark says after a moment. He’s good at that, too. Knowing when Jackson just – when he just doesn’t want to go into things. He rarely asks as bluntly as that, but at least he never pushes it.

“No.” Jackson closes his eyes, shakes his head. “I don’t.”

There’s a pause. Just the sound of heavy post-workout breathing in the empty, quiet space. Jackson can feel his heart beating away in his chest, and he tries to match the rhythm of his breaths to it, in and out and in and out, just for something to concentrate on.

“We’ve got a free evening tomorrow.” After a while longer, Mark starts talking again. Jackson’s eyes snap back open at the sound. “We could go out for dinner.”

“I don’t know about that,” Jackson says. “I’m–”

“Dieting, I know. If that’s what you want to call not eating properly.” Mark sighs, like he knows better not to push at that either. “I’ll pay for us both?”

“That… does sound good.” Jackson has to admit it. It sounded good anyway: him and Mark in one of their favourite restaurants, tucked away in a quiet corner booth or up front by the window. Maybe even outside now that the weather’s getting warmer. Mark smiling at him from the other side of the table and their legs every so often brushing against each other underneath. Not having to pay just makes the thoughts even sweeter, and it’s not because of the money, because that’s no object. It’s the idea that Mark wants to do something nice for him.

“So you’re in?”

“I guess I am.”

“Good.” Mark lays a hand on top of Jackson’s. “I just wanna make you happy, you know?”

“You do.” Jackson’s looking in Mark’s eyes as he says it, and it feels like one of the most honest things he’s ever said, nothing but the truth. “You really do.”

“Good,” Mark repeats, and he squeezes Jackson’s hand. “You make me happy, too.”

The truth’s there, too. Jackson can hear it, can see it in Mark’s smile. He returns the smile, returns the squeeze of his hand, and leans in closer to kiss the side of Mark’s head. He’ll always have times like this – times when he doesn’t feel like he’s enough, when he feels the need to push himself to and beyond the limits – but he’ll always have Mark, too. And really, that’s what matters.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks so much for reading, everyone! you can also find me on tumblr @ vibetechs, and on twitter @gotsevenses


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